Leclerc deceives but goes out Verstappen thanks: he wins the Spanish GP and now leads the World Championship

The Monegasque starts well but is betrayed by his Red Bull Red Bull double in Barcelona, ​​Sainz at the foot of the podium

barcelona (spain)

The illusion of what seemed like an inescapable triumph broke just before halfway through the race, at Montmelò, when a dominant Charles Leclerc was stopped by a breakdown, leaving the Spanish GP victory to his rival for the title, Max Verstappen. Red Bull scored twice, with Sergio Perez, and George Russell on the podium with Mercedes, while Carlos Sainz finished fourth after an opaque race, taking advantage of a slowdown by Lewis Hamilton, author of an incredible comeback from last place .

It is the first time, in six races, that Ferrari has had a reliability problem, penalizing a Leclerc who had done everything at his best for the entire weekend but can console the Cavallino as shown on the track and the driver himself, while blaming the shot «it hurts», he is confident because «the car has returned to give me excellent sensations». However, next Friday Verstappen will be in Monaco as leader of the drivers ‘championship and Red Bull at the top of the constructors’ standings, calling the Red to respond immediately, also because Mercedes is back on track and probably has the best pair of drivers.

The sixth GP of the season spares no surprises right from the start, with Sainz being overtaken by Russell and Perez and a touchdown between Hamilton and Magnussen, with the former having to return to the pits together with the Dane. On the seventh lap, Sainz loses control at turn 4 and turns on the gravel, returning to the 11th. Shortly after, it was Verstappen’s turn to make the same mistake in the same spot, finding himself from second to fourth. Great work for the mechanics in the pits while Leclerc flies and “pulls” up to lap 22, returning with the medium and a six-second advantage over Russell and the Dutchman, who with the Drs out of order, struggles to overtake the Mercedes.

It is a show on lap 24, with the two rivals side by side for various curves without the positions changing but Leclerc’s drama is about to end. The engine greets him and forces him to return to the pits. There is still half a race to run and Verstappen revives, going to take an important victory, third in a row and 24th in his career, thanks also to the team’s “moral suasion” on Perez, induced to give him first place without taking risks. Sainz, despite the frenzied cheering, does not light up his race, the podium is unattainable and in the final he sees himself overtaken by Hamilton, who then gives him back his position contenting himself with fifth place.

Obviously at the end of the race in the Ferrari pits there is disappointment but also the awareness that the Red, net of yesterday’s problem, after six races appears to be a super competitive car.

Leclerc is also confident: «This is our first big problem this year – declared the Monegasque yesterday -. It hurts, because it happens in a race in which we were first and in good management, but the championship is still very long. I believe that, in moments like this, we can only look at the positive of the weekend. I am confident for the next races, let’s look forward ».

Certainly Verstappen is even more so, enjoying a victory that was difficult to predict yesterday morning. –